tonight, i can report to the american people and to the world that the united states has can conducted an operation that killed osama bin laden, the leader of al qaeda. >> usa! usa! usa! usa! >> reporter: the news came out of nowhere. no one in this country was expecting it, just as no one inside the bin laden compound was expecting u.s. navy s.e.a.l.s to arrive by helicopter. one image from that night has come to symbolize the mission. the photograph taken at the height of the raid, by veteran white house photographer pete sousa. >> here it is. >> uh-huh. >> there you are. >> here i am, sitting right there. >> that's an intense look on your face. and everyone is intently watching on that screen. >> this is -- if i'm not mistaken, pete, this picture was taken right as the helicopter was having some problems. but you may not remember. >> i can't say for sure. >> that's what it feels like, because i remember hillary putting her hand over her mouth at that point. >> when you look at it -- >> yeah. >> what does it conjure up inside you? >> well, that's the way i usually look when my husban